Collapsible boat



May 7, 1958 w. A. cooK 3,381,322

LLLLLLLLLLLLL AT vm @7M ATTORNEY INVENTOR. WALTER A. COOK May 7, 1968 Iw. A. COOK 3,331,322

GOLLAPS I BLE BOAT Filed Dec. lO, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. WALTERA, COOK I @mx/Mame ATTORNEY May 7, 1968 w. A. COOK 3,381,322

COLLAPS I BLE BOAT 5 Sheets-Sheet .'5

Filed Dec. 10, 1965 INVENTOR.

Fl-IE 9 WALTER A.CooK

@MKM

ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,381,322 COLLAPSIBLE BOAT Walter A.Cook, 108 N. Grand Blvd., Osceola, Ind. 46561 Filed Dec. 10, 1965, Ser.No. 512,996 7 Claims. (Cl. 9 2) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLSURE A collapsibleboat formed of `a plurality of self-contained buoyant sections eachhaving bottom and side walls and at least one vertical transverse walland having longitudinal guides for tensioned connecting cables at sidesand bottom joining the sections with transverse Walls abutting, andhaving seat means supported upon and hav ing sockets releasablyinterlocked with the upper portions of abutting transverse walls ofadjacent sections.

This invention relates to improvements in collapsible boats.

The primary object of this invention is to provide a collapsible boatformed of a plurality of sections, each of which is a self-containedbuoyant unit and which t with in each other in a small space forconvenience of transport and storage.

A further object is to provide a collapsible boat formed of a pluralityof sections wherein each unit or section is light lin Weight and of asize small enough to permit convenient handling thereof.

A further object is to provide a boat of this character formed of aplurality of sections which can be assembled into a strong, conventionalsized boat rapidly and with the use of few general purpose tools andwithout requiring the use of any special jigs or fixtures or tools.

A further object is to provide a boat formed of a plurality of sectionsinterconnected by cables extending through protective cable positioningtulbes extending lengthwise of the boat at spaced parts thereof andtightened by screw-threaded connectors.

A further object is to provide a collapsible boat of this characterhaving a plurality of sections connected by cables drawn taut byscrew-threaded connectors so located as to be convenient formanipulation thereof and to avoid interference with the mounting of anoutboard motor upon the boat.

A further object is to provide a sectional boat with means forconnecting the sections thereof and having boat seats adapted to bereadily m-ounted and dismounted and serving to assist in connecting thesections of the boat to hold the same in operative position, said boatseats being readily and easily installed and removed.

`Other objects will be apparent from the following specification.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a boat embodying this invention in itsassembled form;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the boat in c01- lapsed formwith the sections thereof intertitting;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the boat in its assembled form;

FIG. 4 is'a side view of the boat in assembled form with parts shown insection;

FIG. 5 is a vertical sectional view of a boat with the parts thereofinteriitting and taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 6;

FIG. 6 is a schematic view of a boat whose parts have been disassembledand arranged in intertting relation;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 8 3 of FIG. 3, andillustrating the application of a seat to the boat in partiallyassembled position;

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FIG. 8 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the seat in itsoperative position;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view of another embodiment of the seatconstruction, taken on a section similar to that shown in FIG. 7. f

Referring to the drawings which illustrate the preferred embodiment ofthe invention, the numeral 10 designates a collapsible boat formed ofsections. In the form shown a prow section 12, a central section 14 anda stern section 16 are provided. The boat may be formed of any suitablematerial, such as wood, sheet metal or fiber glass.

The prow section 12 has a pair of rearwardly diverging sides 18, abottom 2t), and a rear vertical transverse wall 22. The prow section isbuoyant and is rigidied by tube portions 24 extending lengthwise of thesides 18, pref. erably at their upper margins. A central tube 26 extendslongitudinally centrally and externally along the bottom of the prowsection and terminates in a forward upper tube end portion 28 which maymount a removable cap member 30, if desired.

The central section of the boat has curved side walls 32, a bottom 34, afront vertical transverse wall 36, and a rear vertical transverse wall38. Open ended tubes 40 extend lengthwise of the side Walls 32, and anopen ended tube 42 extends longitudinally centrally externally along thebottom 34. The front wall 36 of the central section preferably islocated rearwardly of the front edge of the bottom 34, and the rear wall22 of the prow section preferably is located forwardly of the rearmargin of the bottom 20 so that the walls 32 and 36 may abut while thebottoms 20 and 34 overlap, as seen in FIGS. 7 and 8. The parts are soproportioned that the front ends of the tubes 40 of the central sectionwill register with the rear ends ofthe tubes 24 of the prow section, andthe forward end of the tube 42 of the central section will register withthe rear end of the tube 26y of the prow section. If desired, themarginal overlap shown as between panels Ztl and 34 may extend at thesides of said prow and central sections similarly to the arrangementshown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

The stern section 16 is of a length shorter than the length of thecentral section and of a size to fit within the central section and, inturn, to receive in it the prow section, when the sections interfit asillustrated in FIGS. 2, S and 6. The stern section includes curved sidewalls 44, bottom 46, front vertical transverse wall 4.8, and reartransom 50. If desired, suitable reinforcing gussets 52 may interconnectthe stern side walls 44 and the transom 50. Open ended tubes 54 extendalong the sides of the stern section, and an open ended tube 56 extendsexternally along the central portion of the bottom of the stern section.The front ends of tubes S4 register with the rear ends of the tubes 40of the central section when the boat sections are assembled, and thefront end of the bottom tube 56 registers with the rear end of thebottom tube 42 of the central section. The bottom and sides of the cen--tral and rear sections may overlap marginally as shown in FIGS. 7 and8.

A cable 58 extends through each set of registering tubes. Thus a cableextends through a set of the tubes 24, 40 and 5d at each side of theassembled boat, and a cable extends through the registering tubes 26, 42and 56 at the bottom of the boat. Each cable mounts a head or abutmentmember 6l) at one end thereof has a screwthreaded shank portion 62 atits opposite end. In the preferred arrangement, the cables extendingthrough the tubes at the sides of the boat have their heads 6i) abuttingthe front ends of the tubes 24 of the prow, and their threaded Shanksprojecinv from the rear of the boat to receive screw-threaded nuts 64 orlike connectors which bear against the rear end of the stern tubes 54 astension is exerted upon the cables by the connectors.

The cable S8 which extends through the registering tube sections 26, 42,56 from the prow to the stern along the central portion Of the bottom ofthe boat is similarly tensioned `by a screw-threaded nut 64 fitting on ashank portion 62 so as to exert tension to rigidly assemble the boatsections. It may be desirable in the assembly of the boat to apply oneor more of the cable abutment members 60 at the rear of the stern tubeand the nut 64 at the front of the boat, particularly in the event thatan outboard motor is to be mounted upon the transom 50. This will insureminimum interference to mounting of and adjustment of the motor upon thetransom 50 and facilitate tightening of the nut 64 in an accessibleposition atfer the boat has been assembled and the motor has beenmounted thereon.

The fact that each of the boat sections is a complete buoyant sectionfacilitates assembly of the boat in the water if that should be desired.Also it insures that if the connection between adjacent sections shouldloosen, or if any of the connecting parts should break or be releasedwhile the boat is in use, the occupants of the boat are not in danger.

The transverse walls 22, 36, 38 and 48 of the respective sections arepreferably formed of the cross-sectional configuration best illustratedin FIGS. 7 and 8. Thus each of said walls may have a flange 66projecting substantially perpendicularly therefrom and extending aroundits side and bottom margins for continuous sealing engagement andsecurement with the side walls and bottoms of the respective sections ofwhich they are a part. The upper edge of each of the transverse walls22, 36, 38 and 48 is preferably shaped as best seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5,with its end portions 68 at a level adjacent the top of the side wall ofthe section of which it is a part, and with a central lower level topedge part 70 slightly below the level of the parts 68. Thecross-sectional configuration of the edge parts 68 and 70 of eachtransverse wall 22, 36, 38 and 48 preferably includes a reinforcingflange 72 preferably ex- -tending substantially perpendicularly to thewall and terminating in an outer downturned flange 74. The flanges 72and 74 serve to rigidify the walls from which they project and alsoaccommodate connector means for holding adjacent walls in operativeposition when the boat is assembled.

One form of connector between adjacent transverse walls is illustratedin FIGS. 7 and 8 and provides a seat for the boat. In this construction,a seat member is provided with a seat panel 76, preferably formed ofmetal having one end portion thereof bent upon itself to reinforce andstrengthen the same and -to form a connector socket receiving orbridging and interlocking the wall flanges 72, 74 of adjacent boatsections. In the construction shown, one marginal portion of seat panel76 has a portion 78 return bent in engagement therewith and terminatingin a downwardly laterally bent hook flange 80 which is adapted tointerlock with one of the downturned wall flanges 74 at a joint betweenboat sections. The socket is completed by a downturned flange 82 spacedfrom the hook 80 a distance equal to the spacing between the outer edgesof the wall flanges 74. It will be seen that the arrangement permits theseat panel to engage and interlock with the wall flanges 72, '74 byfirst engaging the hook flange S under one of the wall flanges 74 whilethe seat is held in inclined position, as illustrated in FIG. 7.Thereupon, movement of the seat panel to horizontal position, asillustrated in FIG. 8, causes the downturned flange S2 of the seat toengage the opposite wall flange 74. This prevents separation of thewalls when the socket is .proportioned to have a snug fit with flanges72 and 74, as illustrated in FIG. 8.

The seat has a cantilevered portion which may be supported by a foldablestrut or leg. It is also desired to insure the Abuoyancy of the seatunit, and means are preferably provided to provide such buoyancy. In theconstruction illustrated the seat panel 76 has a downturned wall 84 atits free margin, from which in turn projects a lower wall part 86. Abody of buoyant material, such as unicellular or closed cell plasticmaterial 88, is confined in the space between the parts 76, 84 and 86. Abracket 89 is preferably mounted on the seat unit as at wall 86 adjacentpart 84 and serves to pivotally mount a strut or leg 90. The parts areso proportioned that, when the leg 90 is in collapsed or retractedposition illustrated in FIG. 7 alongside the wall parts 86, the seatunit may be manipulated between the FIG. 7 position, the FIG. 8position, and a free or released position to effect connection ordisconnection of the seat. After connection of the seat socket 78, 80,82 with the flanges 72, 74 has been effected, as illustrated in FIG. 8,the leg or strut 90 may be lowered to bear against the bottom of theadjacent section of the boat and thus provide adequate support for theseat and serve the additional function of positioning the seat tomaintain the interlock with the wall panels. It will be understood thatthe foldable leg need not be secured to the seat, ybut may be installedin suitable manner to support the cantilevered part of the seat.

Another construction for effecting releasable connection between a seatand the adjacent transverse walls of boat sections is illustrated inFIG. 9. In this construction two adjacent boat sections have bottoms and102. A transverse wall 104 of one section extends upwardly from thebottom 100 and is characterized by an upper angular reinforcing flange106 which terminates in a downward flange 108. A transverse wall 110extends upwardly from the bottom 102 of the other section and terminatessubstantially flush with the upper surface of the flange 106 of theadjacent boat section. A seat panel 112 has a hook flange 114 extendingalong one margin thereof adapted to interlock with the flange 108, asseen in FIG. 9. Seat panel 112 has downwardly projecting retainersincluding a wall 116 adapted to abut the transverse wall 110 when inoperative position, and other walls such as 118 defining a protectiveenclosure within which is mounted buoyant material 120, such asunicellular or closed wall plastic foam material.

Any suitable means may be provided to releasably lock the seat structurein operative position, and for this purpose a bracket 122 may be mountedupon the bottom 102 to be engaged and interlocked by a rcleasable latch124, here illustrated as a rotatable member mounted upon a wall 118 andpositioned to releasably engage and disengage the bracket 122.

While the preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated anddescribed, it will be understood that changes in construction may bemade within the scope 0f the appended claims Without departing from thespirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A collapsible boat comprising at least two buoyant sections, eachsection having a bottom, sides and at least one transverse verticalwall,

guide means carried by each side of each section,

guide means carried externally by the bottom of each section,

a plurality of spaced flexible tensioning members releasably carried bysaid guide means and extending longitudinally at the sides and bottomsof said sections and exerting tension thereon to draw said boat sectionsinto engagement at said transverse walls to define a rigid boatassembly, and

a member bridging and fitting around the upper ends of adjacenttransverse walls of adjacent boat sections, said bridge member and atleast one wall having interchanging hook members.

2. A collapsible boat as defined in claim 1, and means releasablypositioning said bridge member in operative position.

3. A collapsible boat as defined in claim 2, wherein said bridge memberincludes a seat bearing on the upper edges of adjacent transverse walls.

4. A collapsible boat as dened in claim 3, and a strut pivotally carriedby one of said seat and boat section and engaging the other of said seatand boat section to operatively position said seat.

5. A collapsible boat as dened in claim 1, wherein said bridge memberincludes a seat having a socket bridging and releasably interlocked withsaid walls, and co1- lapsible means supporting said seat in operativeposition.

6. A collapsible boat as delined in claim 5, and -unicellular materialcarried by said seat to render the same buoyant.

7. A collapsible boat as defined in claim 1, wherein said bridge memberincludes a seat having a socket bridging and releasably interlocked withsaid walls, and means releasably interlocking said seat with a boatsection spaced from said walls.

References Cited UNITED VSTATES PATENTS 1,549,153 8/1925 Schel 9--21,916,093 6/ 1933 Cormier 9-2 2,212,088 8/ 1940 Tomassi 9-2 3,142,849 8/1964 Jagemann et al. 9-7

FERGUS S. MIDDLETON, Primary Examiner.

MILTON BUCHLER, Examiner.

R. A. DORNON, Assistant Examiner.

